Ancient Mystic's War of the Realms Saga by Lady Adellandra Dratianos (book club suggestions txt) 📕

his youngest brother.
“My knights are ready and willing, brother.” Lord Byron supplied.
“Our children lead them, at your command, O’Dell.” Challandra announced.
“Enchantra, find Young Guardian. Tell her where to meet me.” O’Dell supplied.
“Aye, Lord Guardian.” Enchantra chimed.
O’Dell looked around the table. “Are we ready to defend our Realm?” The Originators and Braken Hawk nodded. “Let’s go to war!”

IV

“The Companion Army is advancing, Lord Master.” The troll-like maidservant D’Kora reported, kneeling to both Orthos and Bane.
Orthos looked at Bane. “You initiated it; you deal with it.”
Bane scowled, turning back to D’Kora. “What of the Crusaders?”
“Separated, each leading separate troops.”
“And Ramon’s Hunters?”
“Laying in wait, watching the Battlefield, Lord Bane.”
Bane looked to Orthos for suggestions. Orthos only grinned, waiting to hear what the Nightmare King had to say.
Bane turned back to D’Kora, giving his orders. “Have the Dark Warriors attack the Companion Army.” He started, gruffly. “Tell Crucis to destroy any Dwellers on-site. As for the Crusaders, separate them from their troops. I will send Omri to befuddle their minds with his Djinn. Should the Crusaders resist, attack. Is that clear, D’Kora?”
D’Kora nodded. “Aye, Lord Bane.”
“You are excused.”
As soon as she was gone, Orthos clapped his hands. “Well done, Bane.”
“I agree.” Gloriana spoke up, hands rubbing Orthos’ shoulders. “Very well done.”
“This may prove to be a very interesting war.” MagDaliah sneered.
“Indeed, it will be.” Lord Bane supplied, kissing his Lady Queen and laughing with Orthos and Gloriana.

Chapter
Disillusions and Fears

Jammins, Julie, TJ and Charlie rode together on two horses, leading their small platoon of Companions through the swiftly-crowding Battlefield. The Elder Companion Sir Sheldon Stargazer was with them, telling them stories of the Wars for Power.
TJ stopped the mare in her tracks once she thought she sensed something nearby. She dismounted to investigate.
“Lady Tamara?” Sir Sheldon asked, canine eyes searching where her attention was sparked.
“There’s something in the air. I can sense it.” TJ supplied without looking at him.
Charlie, Julie and Jammins looked at each other.
“Be careful, TJ.” Charlie said from atop the mare.
They all froze when they heard singing in the air.
“Hey, Nahani, Nahani, Nahani. Hey, Nahani, Nahani.”
The voice was female, and the crooning grew louder and closer. The singer breezed out of the shadows like a black mist, singing her song and hovering closer to TJ with each repetition.
TJ tried to use her Magic to make it disappear, but it didn’t work. She couldn’t move.
Not again! She thought to herself, finally realizing what this misty creature was.
A Djinn Fear-Wraith.
Taking from the song that Nahani was her name, TJ watched as the Fear-Wraith brushed past her ear, freezing her in position.
Nahani sung her song in TJ’s ear, placing her into a trance. Time stood still, and it was as if she was the only one there. Those around her had disappeared, or so Nahani wanted her to believe.
TJ closed her eyes, trying to focus on her Ancient Mystic Force, just as Ariana and Luna had taught her. She saw the faint, glowing white sphere of energy, focusing on feeling its pulse. At first, the pulse pounded in her mind and the brightness of the energy sphere nearly blinded her mind-sight.
She heard the song again, and the Fear-Wraith Nahani’s voice was clearer. Her trance deepened with each repetition, and she was helpless to get herself out of it.
The Ancient Mystic Force within her faded, along with all the confidence she’d had. She tried to reach for it again, but couldn’t focus. The Force fell away from her grasp, its image a mockery of the true power.
What am I to do? TJ thought to herself.
“There is nothing to do.” Nahani’s voice sneered. “Give yourself to me, child.”
Never!
Nahani’s laugh echoed in TJ’s mind, and an image played itself for her inner-eyes.
The thought-vision of Charlie was sword-fighting against something TJ couldn’t make out. She couldn’t see his opponent, but she could see him, clearly. She could only stand and watch as Charlie’s opponent ran through his defenses, piercing its sword deep in Charlie’s body.
“Charlie, no!” TJ shouted, wanting to run to his rescue and heal him. Tears stung her eyes, her knees giving out and forcing her to the ground.
Still in the clearing, Charlie was alive and well, sitting atop the mare. He was confused. She’d called out to him, but she wouldn’t respond to his telepathic messages. It was like her mind was somewhere else, and he couldn’t reach her. His Protectors’ Pendant was pulsing at his chest, and he grasped it, instantly feeling her mind in pain. He saw the vision Nahani was forcing TJ to see, and he didn’t like it.
“Try calling the spell, Charlie.” Jammins instructed, breaking Charlie out of his trance.
The Companions around them waited, watching the confusing scene.
Charlie nodded, calling the Destruction Spell many times. It didn’t work.
“Sorry to tell you this,” Charlie started, once giving up. He scowled, shouting. “But, IT’S NOT WORKING!”
“Charlie, calm down.” Jammins started.
“I can’t calm down!” Charlie didn’t look at Jamie, only TJ. “She’s hurting, only I can’t do anything about it! No matter how many times I repeat that stupid spell, it won’t work.”
“It’s not going to work because this is her battle.” Julie realized, staring at her daughter. “Leave her to it.”
“She’s in trouble deep, Julie.” Charlie interjected. “You’re telling me to stand aside and wait? I can’t let this thing hurt her. I won’t!”
“We know you won’t, but just trust us.” Jammins supplied. “There’s nothing we can do until she snaps out of it.”
“Dammit, I’m her Earthly Protector!” Charlie dismounted and raced to her.
The Djinn Fear-Wraith was circling her body.
Sensing danger, the mare reared, screaming in fear. Jammins grasped the mare’s reins, pulling her front legs back to the ground. With the mare calmed and standing by his stallion, Jammins’ attention went back to the scene that was in front of him.
Charlie reached out to grab TJ’s arm and yank her back to life, but was thrown out of the way. He stood, trying again, only to be thrown for a second time.
“Give up, boy!” The Fear-Wraith screeched. “You can’t save her now!”
Charlie wouldn’t give up. “It’s not real, Tamara! It’s only an illusion!”
TJ, deep in the recesses of her own mind, heard his voice from afar. She saw another thought-vision of him. This one was reaching out to her, his Protectors’ Pendant aglow.
Charlie, she thought, her heart beating at the name. He’s alive.
How could that be? The thought-vision of him was still dead on the ground, covered in blood. His sword-fighting opponent had only laughed and disappeared, leaving the two of them in the clearing.
“It’s not real!” She heard his voice shout from the far reaches of her mind. “Call the spell and get rid of the Fear-Wraith! Hurry!”
It’s not real, she chanted in her mind.
“Your demon powers killed him, child.” Nahani’s voice taunted. “It’s all your fault.”
It’s not real. It’s only an illusion.
Nahani continued taunting her. “Give yourself to me, child, or die like your lover!”
Ignoring Nahani’s taunts in her ear, she focused on the ‘real’ Charlie.
I’m not a demon. I have full control over my Ancient Mystic Magic, and I didn’t kill Charlie.
TJ found the Ancient Mystic Force in her mind again, focusing on its glow and pulsing. She found the courage to open her eyes and face her Earthly Protector standing before her.
Call the spell, his eyes seemed to say.
Time to get rid of this Fear-Wraith. TJ thought to herself, grabbing Charlie’s out-stretched hand and sharing a smile.
She opened her mouth to call the spell, but Nahani had other plans.
Nahani conjured birds of all kinds, from sparrows to larks, ravens to bluebirds, blackbirds to robins, crows, ravens and even chickadees.
Charlie let go of her hand, backing away and swatting at the birds that flew around him.
TJ felt something from him.
“Don’t freeze up, Charlie. Whatever you do, don’t freeze up.” TJ encouraged once she found she couldn’t move. “It’s only an illusion! It’s not real!”
“Hurry, Teej!” Jammins cried. “Dark Warriors are headed this way!”
“Stall them!” TJ yelled. She turned back to her Protector. “Snap out of it, Reynolds! We need you!”
“Help me, then!” Charlie called back, still swatting at birds. “They won’t go away! They keep multiplying!”
This was beginning to tick Tamara Jane off.
“They’re coming!” Julie cried.
“Hurry!” Jammins yelled after her.
“I know, I know, just let me think!” TJ announced.
She couldn’t take it anymore, so she silently apologized to him before doing something she hadn’t done around him in a long time.
Telekinesis. How to use it to get rid of the birds and free Charlie from his fear?
That’s when she came to a snap-decision. The Dark Warriors.
“They’re here!” Jammins announced.
TJ smiled wickedly. That was just what she wanted to hear.
“Do it!” Julie cried. “Now!”
She acted fast, using her telekinesis power to make the birds disappear, only to reappear again at the Dark Warriors’ heads, pecking at eyes and faces.
One more thing to take care of before going back into battle with the Dark Warriors. Together, hand-in-hand, Charlie and TJ called the Destruction Spell and got rid of the Fear-Wraith named Nahani.
After the Fear-Wraith was gone, they remounted their now-calm mare and followed Jammins and Julie further into battle.

II

In another part of the Battlefield, Panther Grey and his daughter Destiny had their own problems. A Fear-Wraith named Dami conjured lions to surround Panther. Destiny was confused as her father’s black panther Companion form changed human. She could sense he was scared of the lions that surrounded him. What she didn’t understand is why his now-human form was growing younger and younger.
“Father?” Destiny choked.
He didn’t, or couldn’t hear her.
“What’s going on?” Destiny asked anyone who was listening. “What’s happening to him?”
It was Wolf Stargazer himself that came to her side. “When he was Earthbound, he was always afraid of lions.” Destiny looked up into his kind canine eyes. “You need to use Companion Magic to talk him out of it.”
“How?”
“You can do it, Destiny.” Wolf said. “I have faith in you.”
Turning back to her father’s young-boy form, she took a deep breath and began. She reached her hands out and focused her Companion Magic in surrounding him instead. He was glowing purple, and she could feel him relaxing.
“Come on, Daddy.” Destiny whispered. “Snap out of it. It’s a Djinn Fear-Wraith.”
“Destiny?” Panther’s boyish voice called.
“You’re a black panther Companion and my father.” Destiny told him. “You can do great Companion Magic, just like Mommy and me. Use it.”
Destiny and Wolf watched as Panther’s human-boy form grew into a man, and finally into the black panther-male they all knew.
Panther looked to his daughter and nodded his thanks.
“Call the spell, Panther!” Wolf cried.
Panther called the spell and Dami was gone. They went back to battle.
War wasn’t over yet, and there was still a lot of work to do.

III

On the front lines, a group of Dark Warriors attacked the team of Companions led by Amethyst and her Earthly Protector, Scott Archer. Magic against magic they fought in midair. The Dark Warriors sprayed Dominionite Magic at them, but Amethyst blocked using her own style of Unicorn Magic. The Companions did their best by using their own different kinds of Magic.
They were all caught unawares when a Warrior sprayed bees directly at Scott. He fell from the sky when he began to swat them away.